FROM OUR EXPERTS

Your diarrhea has
continued for a month, making it more chronic and persistent rather than
acute. The possible causes are long, but
chronic infection is a concern, especially if you've recently traveled out of
the US. Other diagnoses to consider are chronic
pancreatitis, celiac disease, lactose intolerance, and possibly even stomach or
intestinal cancer, to name a few. Try to
pay attention to any recent changes in your eating habits or if you've started
taking a new medication recently. Be
very careful not to let yourself get dehydrated and go see your doctor ASAP.

Hope this helps somewhat. You should really see your doctor if this continues because only your doctor can determine what is best for you. Online sites are great for finding information that will help you ask all the important questions of your doctor, but they shouldn't take the place of your doctor's advice.

Definition A stool Gram stain is a laboratory test that uses different stains to detect and identify bacteria in a stool sample. The Gram stain method is sometimes used to rapidly diagnose bacterial infections. Alternative Names Gram stain of stool; Feces Gram stain How the test is performed You will need to collect a stool sample. There are many ways to collect a sample. You can catch the stool on plastic wrap that is loosely placed over the toilet bowl and held in place by the toilet seat, and then place the sample in a clean container. (One test kit supplies a special toilet tissue that you use to collect the sample.) Do not take stool samples from the toilet bowl water, because this can cause errors. If you need to collect a sample from a child still in diapers, line the diaper with plastic wrap. Position the plastic wrap so that it keeps the stool from any urine. Mixing of urine and stool can spoil a good sample. Your health care provider will give you instructions on when and how to retu...

Definition
Bloody stools often are a sign of an injury or disorder in the digestive tract. Your doctor may use the term "melena" to describe black, tarry, and foul-smelling stools or "hematochezia" to describe red- or maroon-colored stools.
Alternative Names
Stools - bloody; Hematochezia; Melena; Stools - black or tarry
Considerations
Blood in the stool may come from anywhere along your digestive tract, from mouth to anus. It may be present in such small amounts that you cannot actually see it, and it is only detectable by a fecal occult blood test.
When there is enough blood to change the appearance of your stools, the doctor will want to know the exact color to help find the site of bleeding. To make a diagnosis, your doctor may use endoscopy or special x-ray studies.
Black stool usually means that the blood is coming from the upper part of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. This includes the esophagus, stomach, and the first part of the small i...

Definition Stools that float are usually due to poor absorption ( malabsorption ) of nutrients or excessive gas (flatus). Alternative Names Floating stools Considerations Floating stools are seen in a variety of different situations. Most are diet-related, or occur during a gastrointestinal infection. A change in diet can lead to an increase in the amount of gas produced by the bacteria found in the (healthy) gastrointestinal tract. Acute gastrointestinal (GI) infections also can result in increased gas in the intestines, due to rapid movement of food through the GI tract. One wrong idea is that floating stools are caused by an increase in the fat content of the stool. In fact, it is increased gas in the stool that makes it less dense and allows it to float. Increased levels of nutrients in the stool that have not been absorbed by the GI tract supply the normal bacteria that live in the gut. These bacteria, in turn, produce more gas. This results in more gas-rich stools that float. Common Cause...

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